Uncoventional Game Strategy

Staying one step ahead is a goal that many chess players seek to reach. How do we do this when many games begin and develop with the exact same moves? Can we use an opponent's early expectations against them?

Pawns open, a Knight follows and an there is a deep emphasis on castling. Each of these are well practiced sets of moves that everyone from beginners to advanced players utilize compulsively. These moves are repeated faithfully thousands of times an hour online and offline!

So. Are we being redundant? Are these techniques valuable to us or not? Have we become mindless creatures of habit executing the same irrelevant sets of moves no matter how different and unique the situation that is presented to us?

By understanding that many players will follow a certain set of expected moves: we can in many, many cases allow our opponents to believe in common and traditionally held assumptions during the opening of a chess game.

Defying Opponent Expectations

In 10,000 matches on chess.com I have encountered at least two distinct types of players: The Traditionalist and The Madman. These names are self-explanatory and only vary by degrees of adherence to each tactical doctrine. Sometimes, players will pretend to be one or the other to use tactics from either type of players' handbook. However, this type of player is at heart - one or the other.

Deciding what type of player that you are facing will allow you to have a good idea about their possible range of moves and strategies.

Below is a recent 10 minute Blitz match against Onesti from China playing as The Traditionalist who was extremely vulnerable to The Madman's unpredictable tactics. China, as Black, quickly became unable to cope with what must appeared to him as an very unusual and pointless series of moves. However, in less than 20 moves it was checkmate.

After the traditional pawn open by each of us I sent out my queenside Bishop into a position with 3. Bb4. This is a position can potentially stop Black from castling. Many opponents, especially as Black, will drop everything to castle. It requires an immediate focus shift.

This focus shift takes away any leanings into offensive momentum from Black at move 3. At move 4, The Traditionalist thinking occurs. Black sends out it's queenside Knight to attack the a3 Bishop. This further delays Black from establishing an offense or defense. It's dogmatic thinking forces it to chase a threat to it's doctrinal based moves - right around the board.

The next important move is my other Bishop at move 6 to d3. Here, I chose to deal with Black's invading white Bishop by countering with my own. Black very happily took it by not wanting to further interrupt it's already delayed castle.

Now, my response to the trade is something confusing to see from a Traditionalist point of view. My pawn takes the traded white square based bishop. This creates a much unfairly maligned "doubled-up" pawn...

"Doubled-up" pawns are seen as an error by most players. Especially by Mrs. William's middle school chess club circa 1990. That's another story. Let's have a look at why this is not always the case.

A take results in a doubled-up pawn preserves White Queen's potential check lines.

In this case, the "doubled-up" pawn preserves the line of check for White Queen behind it. The red lines in the graphic above show potential Queen moves and the purple lines show the check lines for it.

This little "doubled-up" pawn will also stop Black's kingside Knight from potentially asserting pressure by moving to e4. Black, still forced by the need to castle, responds by moving it's kingside Knight.

This move stopped half of my options (the right hand side of the board) to potentially check with my White Queen. But the pressure from my Bishop at a3 remains. Black continues to try to dislodge the a3 bishop by removing it's Knight at 8. with Nd7. This was done as an attempt to cover it's own bishop and preserve it's castle.

This move instantly gave me back a line of check on the right side of the board. Black chases and then trades Knights with me.

Adaptability - Each Situation Is Unique!

At move 12, Black fails to see a very big problem right at the center of the board. Can you look at the board below and make a guess at what simple and unorthodox move should be guarded against from Black?

Can you guess what move should be guarded from by Black?

If you didn't know - that's the point. If you did see it - good one! Sacrificing the pawn e5 by pushing it up opens up a line of check that results in a check mate in 3 moves.

Inability to effectively adapt to offensive tactics is disastrous.

Black never even considered abandoning the kingside castle. His inability to effectively adapt his defensive thinking to these offensive tactics closed this match down in less than 20 moves.

Ok, guys. I hope you learned the value of defying expectations and adaptability. Thank you for reading my blog. Please remember to share if you liked this post!